Ten Legends Link Told Zelda
by Useless-Materia
Summary: Link had always been a storyteller. It was about himself and his own thoughts that he spoke little. I was nearly dizzy at the thought that he was finally telling ours…
1. Prologue

A/N: Hi y'all! It's been a while but I'm back with a new story! It's about half written right now, and is going to be 10+ chapters. It's decidedly ZeLink, and the world it is set in is mostly similar to Ocarina of Time. Don't expect updates continuously, but I do promise to finish this.

It began as a one-shot and unraveled out of my control. Sigh. So goes the writing process, no?

It's similar in style to my biggest story to date, which is Ten Times Shikamaru Thought about Kissing Ino, the prompt being the same. But this time, I thought I'd do stories. I was fascinated with the idea of Link being a story teller, since he's such a quiet character. I plan to play with that a bit more. As for the legends themselves, I also found myself fascinated with the way stories change over time - the nature of oral storytelling itself - so the myths Link shares will sometimes be similar to things we know to be true of the Zeldaverse, but with a bit of wear and tear.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Ten Legends Link Told Zelda**

**Prologue**

**Bond**

**. . . . .**

I flew into the great hall in a panic, voice pitched, crying out to none in particular and all at once. "They arrested the Chosen Hero?! How could they! Don't they know who he is?!"

_Calm your farcicalities, Zelda. He vanished after Ganondorf's defeat. No one knows him but you._

Suddenly my guardian, Sheik, grabbed my arm. "Don't go running in and releasing him right away. Don't say anything. I will speak for you. He wants to tell you something. Let him."

I looked at him for a long moment. Sheik had been with me always – in the shadows, there for my protection. A member of the ancient and long-lived Sheikah tribe who were agents of the goddesses, Sheik had been my guide and protector since birth. Through our connection he had seen our journey, despite his imprisonment by Ganondorf. He knew our story like none but we ourselves knew it. I trusted him innately. And if Sheik was telling me to listen, I would do just that. I nodded once, and together we turned as the great door opened.

My hands shook from too many thoughts.

Link knelt on the stone floor, blindfolded, hands tied behind his back, with the spears of the guards at his throat. I knew he could escape if he so desired, but it incensed me to see him bound just the same. I willed myself calmer. My hands clammy and still shaking, I balled them into fists full of silk at my sides. Not very regal behavior, using an expensive dress in such a way, but I was used to the woods and the earth now, and the nuances required for customs of decorum would take a while to come back to me, I knew.

Sheik led the conversation and I swallowed thickly, trying not to make a sound. Seeing him as he knelt there, the flood of sensation filled me to the brim.

"The guards say you walked up to the gates, stranger. What sort of man eludes security until the last minute and then allows himself to be captured?"

Link's reply rang low and clear throughout the massive, marble throne room. "I came to talk to S…. Princess Zelda."

My heart flitted about my chest like a caged bird. _Sorcha. He was going to call me Sorcha. _Oh, to hear the sound of his deep voice once more, calling out the name he'd given me, the mute girl at his side… My blood sang now, as it did when he would call it out before – full of worry, surprise, mirth – in those rich tones that heralded him from the Forest.

"What business could you possibly have with the princess, stranger?" Sheik's voice was authoritative and cold but I knew he trusted the hero – with my own life, even. Sheik felt certain there was need of such charades and so I believed. I kept my agreement and remained silent.

"I want to tell her a story. If she will listen."

I nodded fervently; a gesture that merely spoke of my eagerness, but the motion was reflex and propriety secondary. _A story… _Link was always telling me stories. Sheik ignored my embarrassing unspoken admissions and informed Link; "She will hear it. Go on."

"She is…" He stiffened. I knew what he must be thinking. Did such a statement imply I was here? I must not let him know for certain yet. After a silent moment he swallowed and continued.

"There once was a peasant from the Kokiri, who was tasked with traversing the land of Hyrule to save it from a great evil. On his journey, he came across many wondrous and strange things, but none so peculiar as the beautiful, starved girl drowning in a river."

I felt myself sinking into the story. His voice had that enchanting and faraway tone he used when he would spin tales. Stories never written down. Stories none of the historians in the castle could ever have dreamt of knowing. Sorcerers, faerie queens, spirits that lived in the bark of trees. And the people who stumbled upon them.

Link had always been a storyteller. It was about himself and his own thoughts that he spoke little. I was nearly dizzy at the thought that he was finally telling ours…

He began to speak and I remembered my own cold beginning: a tower, a prison, and a goddess.


	2. Chapter 0: A Tower, a Prison, a Goddess

**Ten Legends Link Told Zelda**

**Chapter 0**

**A Tower, a Prison &amp; a Goddess**

* * *

"Zelda who cries in the darkness. What would you do to save your kingdom?"

A woman's voice – ageless and serene – echoed in my mind. My heart thudded with wonder in my chest, as though it knew what was about to unfold. And then the great goddess Nayru appeared before me. In my heart I knew it was she; there was nothing but faith and certainty that filled my mind on the matter.

"My lady!" I genuflected before the goddess of love and wisdom and felt her warm hand on the back of my head.

"Rise, my child, and tell me. What would you do to save your kingdom?"

"Anything." The response fell from my lips: a prayer, a vow, a plea. "I would do anything to save my people."

Nayru smiled warmly at me, "I can feel your conviction, my dear. And I believe you will."

"Tell me what I must do and I shall do it, my lady."

"It shall not be easy, Zelda. You will traverse your own lands, not as a princess, but as a common Hylian. And you will find a hero, a man who will come from the east, carried by my sister-goddess. Farore will teach him of courage; but you must be his wisdom. With your aid he will forge his way through the darkness."

Hope surged in my chest. I would do this. I would find this hero.

"Zelda, you will speak of none of this. You will tell no one of my assistance, you will tell none of his destiny. Only you and he will know his purpose, and he will not know your identity."

"I swear to tell not a soul."

"My dear," At this Nayru looked stern, and for all her gentle qualities, the great power and abundant _being_ of the goddess danced in my mind. "When I say you will not speak, I mean simply that you will say nothing at all. Your silence will determine my aid as well as your success. Not a word may escape your lips throughout this journey."

Fear swarmed into my chest where the hope had once been. A term of silence? How would I communicate my mission to the hero? How would I survive in the world without the arts of language? Panic seized my throat and (horribly) I could think of nothing to say.

Nayru spoke in soothing tones, "Your hero will know his task. And you now know yours. You will aid him in silence and together you will come to understand each other. You will teach him to listen." She smiled and it was radiant as the sun. "To listen is the first lesson of love."

"You must wake now, Princess who Dreams. And when you do, you must climb out the window and leap. And when you land, you must run."

I bowed to Nayru and she set her hand upon me once more. "Oh, my child. There is much in store for you. You have strength you do not know. But you will."

Nayru narrowed her eyes, and her irises danced with wild blue fire. Her voice reverberated in my bones, a whisper, a shout: "_Now go._"

My eyes snapped open and I sat up in a flash. Everything from my dream felt as real as the horrible damp of the tower, and my head spun. "_Now go._" The command echoed all around me.

I heard heavy footsteps climbing the long stairs to my prison, chains dragging behind. Without a second thought, I scrambled up to the large window sill; the height of the tower was staggering. The door to my prison burst open, and an angry shout ripped through the night air, suffocated only slightly by the wind that whipped the rags of my skirt about me. I closed my eyes and leapt.

As I fell I heard a gentle humming, and dared to peak. Encased in a blue diamond of magic, my descent slowed. _Nayru's Love. _The name came to me with the same certainty I felt when drawing on the magic in my soul.

I landed softly on the grass, my feet touching down silently. Distant voices from the castle drifted to my ears and the barking of dogs echoed in the dark. I wasted not a second more.

I ran.

. . . . .

_That night had seen the end of the d__ark days. The imprisonment, the helplessness, the fear. My dream had begun my story – had sent me from the darkness towards the light. Towards the Hero. Ganondorf's fall began in my tower: a story that starts with the Man in Green and a Woman in the Blue._


	3. Chapter 1: Man in Green, Woman in Blue

A/N: Hey guys! Third chapter up here, and we finally meet Link! I'm pretty excited. I hope everyone likes this story; it's been in my mind for at least a year now, if not longer. One of the things I want to do with it is to employ the use of so many of Link's items and gadgets. LoZ is a game known for its items, so I wanted to play with them a bit, such as the Zora Tunic here.

Okay, enough ramblings, let's get this show on the road!

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**Ten Legends Link Told Zelda**

**Chapter 1 **

**Man in Green, Woman in the Blue**

It was night, and the dogs had come through the trees, unleashed and howling – chasing after my scent. I could hear them in the darkness and in my mind they were exploding through the tall grass, making seconds of the distance I'd earned over minutes in my attempted haste.

I scrambled through bushes and mud, trying to erase my scent on the riverbank. But it wasn't long and suddenly they were there. Hardly thinking, I flung myself into the river and the current tore me from their reach with seconds to spare. But a river has its own agenda, and the waves ripped me deeper and deeper into the middle of the raging waters.

Tossed about, bruised by unseen bludgeons in the cold waters of winter, I struggled to remain on the surface as panic swelled within me. I thought I'd heard a shout, but over the roar in my head, there was no room for other noises. And yet, after slamming into a rock midstream and while scrambling for a handhold, I felt a strong arm grasp mine. I was heaved out of the water and on top of the stone outcrop, gasping and coughing.

_There was nothing but green before the dark._

_. . . . ._

I awoke to the soft sound of a crackling fire. I sat up with a start, gasping for breath, heart racing in fear of the unknown. Darkness, the campfire and my wet hair indicated I had not been out for long. Inspection showed that I was wrapped in a well-worn blanket, clothed in nothing but a large, blue tunic. By the grace of the goddesses I remembered my vow of silence, and swallowed my scream.

Deep blue eyes suddenly over the fire. "You're awake. I'm glad."

Chest heaving, I stared at my rescuer. Clad in a green tunic similar to the one I wore, he had the amicable look of those that hail from the forest. Eyes roaming him however revealed a layer of chain mail underlining his clothing. A sword rested near his side.

"Everything will be alright, miss. I won't hurt you." His voice was low and in another world I might have found it comforting. But in this one I was indecent and cold, lying in a clearing in the middle of the woods.

Nayru would not have been proud of me. In hindsight I am not proud of myself. But the shock of everything – of the takeover, the tower, the dream, the hounds and the river – and now this stranger before me, who had removed my clothing and certainly seen what none were to ever see of the princess… What a trifling straw to cause the break.

I fainted again.

. . . . .

I came to with those blue eyes staring from above.

"I know it's useless to tell you not to be afraid, miss but I promise I will not harm you."

I leapt backwards, startled. He was so close. The blanket fell from around me, a shoulder bared by the looseness of the tunic. Face burning furiously, I yanked it up once more and covered myself from neck to toe. The man in green averted his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I mean no lechery. But Zora's River is freezing and you would have died in your wet clothing."

It was hard to focus on him - tugging at my consciousness, I realized that the tunic encasing me was humming with water magic. Why had I taken so long to notice? He had clothed me in a Zora's Tunic. It had probably saved my life, if I swallowed half as much river as I recalled. Examining the fabric more closely, the small shimmering scales sewn into the cloth confirmed the feeling. My gaze shot to him once more.

He was backing away, hands out in a gesture of peace, eyes averted. He himself seemed embarrassed and flushed and I took it as a sign of good intent. Certainly this man could have left me to die, or rescued me only to abuse me. But so far neither had occurred; he had certainly gone out of his way to ensure my recovery. And yet the fear stuck to me still and I shivered with a mix of frost and fright.

"I don't mean to frighten you. When you're ready, it's best if you eat."

He sighed beneath my wary gaze. Pulling out a wheel of cheese and a loaf of bread from a sack near the fire, he carefully cut them with a knife. As he got up, I flinched again, not purposefully; his motions stalled and he winced. I felt an uncontrollable guilt roil in my stomach. Getting no closer, he set the food down where I could reach it and backed away.

"When you're ready."

I nodded and he sat. My whole body trembled underneath the blanket he'd wrapped around me and I inched closer to the fire, averting my eyes from my rescuer. It was irrational. But fear often is and even as the memory of the bloodhounds and the river shrunk away, my mission sharpened in my mind. More than anything I now felt the tremendous weight of Nayru's words echoing in my head.

"You must champion this with only your own earned strength, my daughter. Every ounce of your victory over hatred must be earned through your heart."

The time had come for the hero of courage to emerge, the goddess has said as much in my dream. It was up to me, the preordained receptacle of the Triforce of Wisdom to aid him in his quest. But where to find him and how to help him I knew not. And ever the while Ganondorf was terrorizing the country, ruling through tyranny and force while I sat here cold and helpless.

And where was Sheik? Was my guardian even alive? Last I had seen him he was holding Ganondorf's minions at bay so I might escape. All for naught, for I was caught and thrown in the east tower just the same. I feared so deeply for his safety; why was he not showing himself in my dreams? Was I truly alone?

Panic welling within me, I took a deep breath and remembered my oath of silence. All that I had promised my patron goddess… to fulfill such vows I must not give in to fright. And I must stay alive. The essentials were what I needed to focus on now: food, warmth and shelter. Provisions this stranger appeared willing to provide.

So I leaned forward and took the food. His eyes snapped up and the first signs of a smile tugged at his mouth. Guard still up, I ate slowly and considered this man in green; despite his kindness, I had to prepare myself for anything.

Looking back now, what I could never have prepared for was the persistent softness of his voice.

"Miss. Have you heard many tales of the Lost Woods?"

I blinked slowly, wondering at his reasons for asking, and gave him only the smallest of head shakes.

He smiled slightly wider at this, and leaned back against the tall tree that sheltered our makeshift camp. Out of his pouch he took a small knife and block of wood, and began to carve.

"Then I will tell you a tale that the people of my village pass down. Perhaps a story will help to ease your anxiety. Have you heard of the Skull Kids?"

If I had been less on edge it might have been easier to think straight. I recalled snippets of the royal historian's lectures on children who wandered too far into the woods, but little more. For now, though, I was more preoccupied with trying to asses this shaggy-haired man, glancing up at me, hands stilled in his work.

I shook my head slowly, not daring to take my eyes off of him. He smiled and said accommodatingly,

"Then I will tell you. The Lost Woods are a treacherous place, and my people often say that you can lose far more than your way in there. For Hylians, spending too much time in the woods turns them into Stalfos – skeletal warriors who haunt the nights. But a Kokiri who stays in the woods too long will become a Skull Kid."

His words stilled, and I watched his deft hands carving in the firelight – rhythmic, hypnotizing. He began again, and his words had a cadence that calmed my frantic thoughts.

"My people, the Kokiri, they call them the lonely ones. They have no fairies and no faces, and they long for the company of other children."

The fire was warm, and yet it felt so far away – like it would never quite thaw my bones. My skin began to crawl as the rich sound of his voice recalled images - memories of picture books – of children dressed in colorful rags, their visages shadowed as they danced.

"In a land not so different from ours there was one such Skull Kid who felt abandoned by his friends and vengefully brought a curse down on the land."

The man paused and I shivered - this time not from the cold, but from a very real feeling of being put under a spell, though I knew there was no magic. For his tale, his voice and the dancing fire my nerves suddenly seemed less raw and my fear just a little less immediate.

"Loneliness is a powerful thing. It twists a soul around inside until they don't know which way is up. Such is the fate of the Skull Kids. Sadly, it sometimes comes to pass that such a soul as this stumbles upon a great power. And so often great hurting begets great hurt. This Skull Kid happened upon an ancient, enchanted mask, and through its corrupting power, summoned the moon from the sky and brought it crashing down towards the land."

I stared at the wood chips strewn about his feet. They fell in a pattern I couldn't seem to discern. The man in green was right about the nature of the wounded, certainly.

"The Kokiri have great respect for masks, you see. They can be very dangerous – disguising your true self in favor of another identity. But they can also be used for good – they can make you bold, make you stronger. Because sometimes masks are nothing more than multiplications of the different parts of the soul. Parts of you that were there all along."

Fire and shadow danced across his face as he spoke. My thoughts on all else fell away.

"How the Skull Kid was stopped none know for sure – the three days following the moon's descent are hazy – all who were there tell a different tale. But everyone agrees on one thing: a young boy who came from the woods, called forth the four giants and stopped the moon's fall. They say he was five people at once, but the Kokiri know that he was a mask-wielder. And that he used them for good.

"He saved the land from destruction, and what's perhaps more remarkable, he saved the Skull Kid from himself. The Kokiri tell this story to remind themselves of the power of loneliness, and the even greater power of friendship."

He brushed wood chips from his lap and put his work away. There was a strong silence that held the air, but it was a silence somehow filled with many things; the crackle of the fire, the wind in the trees and the resonance of the man's words in my mind.

"You're probably wondering. So yes, I know I'm not actually a Kokiri. But that's where I grew up."

I would come to realize later that this man was not much for words, aside from his stories. And his stories were never about him. This rare bit of personal information, which seemed out of place and perhaps even awkward, was, in fact, his way of trying to make me feel at ease. I know now that I did not appreciate it for what it was. At the time, my mind was still reeling from the story – from everything that has transpired that fateful night.

"We'll head out in the morning. Don't be afraid to get some sleep. You're safe here." And I believed him. He began to walk out of the clearing when he paused and turned around.

"Forgive me, miss. My name is Link. It's nice to meet you."

As though the goddesses themselves stole it away, my fear was gone. My eyelids grew heavy with the ordeals of the day and they closed on his boots as he walked away.

. . . . .

_Thus began my journey with Link, and his infectious serenity engulfed me when I was on the verge of losing my nerve. I drifted off peacefully that night, in hopes of a message, a premonition, anything to guide me to the Hero – the one I had no recognized before my eyes. It shows that the goddesses withhold from even the Princess Who Dreams._


	4. Chapter 2: The Princess Who Dreams

A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Last chapter I spoke a bit about my use of LoZ items – there will be more of that to come, but I also wanted to mention the magic in the series, and Ocarina of Time in particular. I

am fascinated by the idea of Zelda's magic, and her prophetic dreams – I wanted to take it one step further, and give Zelda even more control over her dreams, as though the dreamplane where she visits is some sort of spectral place to communicate with others. There will also be more of Zelda knowing the magic of the land, like Nayru's Love in Chapter 0.

So enjoy, and please review!

**Ten Legends Link Told Zelda**

**Chapter 2**

**The Princess who Dreams**

* * *

That night I dreamt of the east tower once more. The damp, dark prison into which Ganondorf had thrown me. Months I'd spent there, howling in my frustration, weeping for Hyrule and her people. My people.

It was to be expected – it was all I had known for so long, and all that I had barely escaped only hours before. The dreams have always stayed with me – the prophetic and the banal – and this one hung over me the following morning and colored my mood. My rescuer said nothing of it, merely let me ride on the back of his horse as he led her.

I'd awoken with a start – a new habit I seemed to have formed in this life on the run – and spotted my clothing, dry and waiting for me on a boulder in the sun. He'd been polite in looking away as I changed, half-hidden behind his horse, and I couldn't seem to calm the blush on my cheeks as I changed in the open. Imagine what the council would say if they could see their royal princess now. I was startled from my pity party when the man in green – _Link_, he said his name was Link - called out over his shoulder.

"We'll eat and then we'll get on the road. We're heading toward Kakariko Village. There's an innkeeper there who will take good care of you until you feel ready to leave."

A reasonable solution; Kakariko was as good a place as any to start my search. And so once I was decent, I stepped from behind the horse and nodded to him, holding out the Zora's Tunic to my rescuer.

In the light of day I saw his features more clearly. His strong jaw and piercing eyes gave him a more solemn look than the dancing firelight had cast; by the judge of his muscularly defined torso and arms, his work largely consisted of physical activity. Perhaps a mercenary for hire? The Kokiri had no need of a huntsman and no woodcutter would own such a sword as I had seen glitter in the darkness at his side. He had mentioned he wasn't Kokiri himself though. What would bring him this far out of the Kokiri Forest, where few ever left? What reason had he to be where he was?

His eyes held mine and I could tell he was studying me just the same as I; after a spell, he reached out and took the tunic from me. The motion sent a shiver racing up my spine, I turned away.

I tried to unravel the mysteries of my river rescuer over our small breakfast, and then further as he packed up the camp. Neither of us spoke – I because of my oath, and his for reasons he certainly wasn't unveiling.

When all was ready to go, he turned to face me straight on for the first time that morning. "You can ride Epona and I'll lead." Before I could scarcely blink, his horse, Epona he'd said, walked right up to us and stood beside me. And then Link knelt to give me a boost into the saddle in the same moment that I'd swung myself up. His raised eyebrows were the only thing that showed his surprise at my equestrian aptitude. Then we were off.

. . . .

We traveled all afternoon and it soon became apparent that we had gotten something of a late start. Link had certainly been waiting for my awakening, and I had slept until mid-morning. It was becoming more and more obvious that I had been blessed to run across such a rescuer as Link had turned out to be.

The silence drifted on as I held back a thousand questions and comments. Now put into practice, the limits of our interactions were brought to light. Birds chirped overhead and I envied them their simple song.

Link must have caught me staring up at the swirling clouds, for what else would have prompted him to say, "There is a myth the people tell, of an island in the sky. An entire city, to be exact." I looked down at the green Phrygian cap on his head. He glanced back up to judge my interest. Finding it, he smiled slightly and returned his gaze to the road before us.

"They say that ages ago, in the long distant past, the land we live in now was teeming with monsters, and that the true children of the goddesses lived in the sky."

I knew only vaguely of such things, of the Land Before. But those stories existed like fog on the edges of Hylian history. None of the archivists had more than bits and pieces of the old legends, of the times before.

"It is said the place was called _Skyloft_, and that the people there rode great birds to get around, the way we ride horses now. Back then, Hyrule was nothing more than the land beneath the clouds."

Could Link honestly know more than the historians?! That seemed unlikely. But then, how often did those stuffy old men get out and talk to the people? How much of oral tradition seeped through the generations uncatalogued? Probably more than we could fathom.

"A young man from Skyloft ventured forth onto the land below, to find the goddess who had need of him – the goddess he had come to love. There, he helped to create the Master Sword and defeat the evil spirit, Demise, in her name. Then the two remained on Hyrule."

I couldn't help but wonder where this man had been hearing his stories; under the bright blue sky above and amidst the gentle breeze, I half-heartedly fought off the feeling of being enchanted.

"But Demise cursed them both. For as long as they two shall reappear in this world, his hatred would follow them. They would live again and again, for all time, eternally entwined. And the spirit of Demise would follow."

He trailed off and I could not help but reflect on his words. What a fate, to be eternally linked to your one true love, and eternally plagued by a being of hatred and destruction. Such a cycle… could I endure such a fate? Such a duality of existence – always loved and always hated, in equal passion…

Now that his tale was finished, the silence fell back upon us like a shroud. The remainder of the day was spent in such a fashion, excepting Link's final comment after his story.

"Either you can't speak or you chose not to." He tossed a long glance back at me and I lowered my chin in affirmation. His soft "hnn" was the only response and we continued as before.

Considering it, I'd decided Link had chosen his words very carefully in regards to that statement. Then immediately after the conclusion, I determined more correctly that Link was the sort of person who used words little, and chose _all _of them carefully.

. . . .

After a day of relaxing blue skies and soft breezes, our arrival in Kakariko that evening brought me swiftly back to reality. Panic churned within me as the thought of being recognized. But nothing of the sort occurred and, to my vast shame, I realized that I looked the part of the complete vagabond. Clothes in tatters, hair unwashed and unkempt, there were none who would have known their princess in rags.

And what must be said for Link's kindness to follow was of its immensity. Taking us directly to the inn, he helped me dismount, my body weary and unaccustomed to a full day of travel upon horseback. He then led me to the innkeeper, a gregarious woman named Telma. She grinned widely and embraced the young man.

"Link honey! It's so good to see you again!" Link smiled at her and returned the greeting.

"Good to see you as well, Telma. My friend and I need a place to stay." As she noticed me for the first time, Telma's eyes darted between us. I became even more self-conscious about the overall dilapidated state of my being.

"My, she's a cute one. Looks like she's a bit worn, though. Link, you gotta remember to treat your lady a little more kindly." I shook my head to attempt clarification, but Link spoke.

"She's not my lady, Telma. But if anyone asks, it might be best to say she is. She doesn't speak, and I don't want anything to happen to her." Telma's grin fell into a solemn line.

"Doesn't speak? Well you might be right, Link. I'd hate to think of such nasty things, but it is always better to be prepared." Link nodded; I felt helpless and invisible.

"I'll be off in the morning, but she needs a place to stay for a little while. Would it-" Telma interrupted him with a wave of her hand.

"Say no more, honey. The little lady can stay as long as she needs. I'll look after her." Her smile was warm as it fell on me. I curtsied deeply to her, trying to show my thanks for her kindness and immediately wondered at myself. I should perhaps work on being less formal if I were to fit in.

"Ho, what a graceful woman, you are. I bet you'd like a bath before supper, yes?" My eyes must have revealed my joy at her suggestion, because she laughed almost before I nodded.

"I'll have a new dress sent up as well for you… I don't know your name, miss. Link, what is this young woman's name?"

Link's mouth set in a harsh line – harsher than I would have expected – and said ruefully, "I have no way of knowing, I'm afraid." Telma shook her head as she handed Link two keys.

"Shame, a girl with no name." She caught my gaze out of the corner of her eye, and I quickly looked at the floor. Certainly this no-name business would not last long. But none could know I was Zelda, and what name could I give besides? Even if I had a pseudonym, however could I convey it without breaking my oath? I stared at the wooden floorboards and beat off thoughts of how insurmountable my cause felt.

"What do I owe you, Telma?" Link reached into his pouch and withdrew a 100 rupee note. She waved his money off with a scoff.

"For you, Link, there's no charge." He smiled at her and pocketed his rupee.

"Thank you, Telma." She winked at him.

"Anytime, honey."

His amicability was surely contagious; it seemed I was not the only one drawn quickly into his trust. I had no inkling of what he had done for this woman to earn her confidence and gratitude so, but for certain it was complete.

These were my thoughts as I watched a young maid, who called herself Tilly, fill my tub with hot water. She prattled nonstop as she prepared my bath – Telma had been more than generous – but it was welcome noise, and I tried to nod and smile where appropriate. Best of all, she didn't seem to mind my silence.

Soaking in the warm water washed away more than just the dirt of the trip, and I found my thoughts cleared and worries abated, for a time. Perhaps I dozed off, for suddenly Tilly had returned with my nightgown. "When you've changed, let me help you with your hair, miss – you have such lovely hair. The compliment was sweet, and when I'd come from behind the changing curtain, I nodded to the young girl.

I tried not to flinch away at her casualness as she took my hand and drew me to the sitting stool. While I was well-accustomed to being attended to, I was unaccustomed to being touched so informally as Tilly was wont to do; I must hide such mannerisms if I were to fit in.

As she pleated my long, wet hair, she nudged me playfully and said, "Your betrothed is quite handsome, miss. Wouldn't mind a man like that myself!"

I had the decency to blush at her comment and closeness, and laughter rang out impishly in reply.

That night as I slept in the inn, I dreamt again. But this time it was not of the hard stone tower. As though awake, I watched the goddess Nayru reveal herself in the middle of my small room. She came in blue light and splendor and all around her felt serene.

"My daughter. You have done well thus far. But there is still far to go."

I curtsied low before her and said, "Your grace, I will begin my search tomorrow. I will find the one destined to save Hyrule and I will aid and guide him without voice, just as you commanded."

A sound akin to the tinkling of silver bells echoed through the room, and I realized the goddess was laughing.

"My child. The hero has already found you. Easier even than I expected, and so here remains the truth of it: the Hero of Hyrule heard your desperate call and came."

My thoughts ground together slowly – my rescuer, the man in green, the one who pulled me from the freezing water of Zora's River, who clothed me nobly, fed me, kept me alive, and brought me safely here, out of Ganondorf's sight. Was I so dim?

_Link_.

Link was the hero! How had I not seen this? It seemed so obvious now, but hindsight always seems so clear.

"Link! I called to him? I swear on my honor if I even now broke my vow of silence I will atone. I had not even realized-"

"You did not call out with your voice. You called with your heart and Farore helped him to hear. It is a very good sign, Princess who Dreams. Remember what I told you; there are far better ways of communing than with your words. Your hearts know them, but your minds have forgotten. Together you and he must discover them anew."

Her praise felt rejuvenating, but there was alarm as well; how would I repeat such a task? I had not even known I'd called to Link with my heart, as Nayru said. Perhaps Link himself had known to find me as well?

"Does Farore speak to Link as you deign to speak to me, my lady?" Nayru smiled and I felt the distinct impression that this one was directed at nothing but me. It was an overwhelmingly warm sensation.

"As the bearer of wisdom, you and I share a special bond. What Link and Farore share is also immense, but does not manifest itself in dreams or conversations. What he must learn of direction, he shall learn from you, my dear. You are to be his guide."

I nodded with more resolution than I felt, not knowing what else to do with such information. Nayru began to fade. "Do not let your hero leave without you at his side."

. . . .

I awoke. How long had I slept? Was it the next day already? My life was flittering by between dreams and I felt as though the reigns were slipping from my hands. Throwing myself from my bed, I donned the soft, simple blue dress, wool cloak and brown boots Tilly had left on the chair beside my bed and leapt down the stairs.

Neither Link nor Telma was to be found in the inn. Scrambling, I bounded out the door for the stables, fearing Nayru's warning had come too late. Finding him listening amicably to Telma while he finished tacking Epona, the relief surged through me. Hardly thinking, I ran to his horse and hoisted myself up into her saddle before he could barely get out a syllable.

My heart beat frantically, and I tried to sooth it. _I have not lost my chance. The Hero is still here; I have not been left behind._

Telma and Link stared up at me in shock; the heat would have crawled across my face in any other circumstance, but I was determined, and paid no heed to the part of me that screamed in embarrassment at my brashness.

After a few moments, Telma began to laugh. "It seems perhaps she's your lady after all! Link, you rouge!"

But Link was regarding my face carefully, and I gazed back firmly.

_We must go to Death Mountain. _I raised one hand and pointed towards the mountain range in the distance with all the authority I could muster. I cannot say where the though came from, just that I knew it to be true. _We must go to Death Mountain. _Slowly, Link's eyes followed my gesture before returning to my face.

"She wants you to take her with you for sure, honey. Can't say I blame her, a handsome man like you." Telma's teasing continued, but Link did not seem to hear her.

It was almost as though…

His eyes bore into mine. I returned his stare with conviction.

_As though…_

His jaw ticked in the corner and he looked away. He strode over to his sword, sheathed and leaning against the barn door, and lifted it by the strap. He stood there, staring at the blade for a long moment. As it swayed in the air, blue steel hilt gleaming, it hit me like a thunderbolt: it was the Master Sword! Had I ever been anything more than a blind fool? Link had possessed it this entire time and yet I had seen it not. _You were not looking, Zelda._ I could just hear what Nayru would say.

Link was lost in his thoughts (and impervious to the franticness my discovery had created within me) as he slid the leather sash across his broad chest and buckled the sword snug. Next, with movements as slow as though he were underwater, he fastened his shield in place, then hefted his pack onto Epona's rump, and fastened and tightened it. Unaffected by my presence, inches away from where I sat, his hands lingered on the straps. Twisting in the saddle, I gazed down at him, at the top of his head, and the strong fingers tapping lightly on the buckles.

Both Telma and I were silent, and I was filled with anxiety, refusing to lift my gaze from the crown of his head.

Finally, he looked up, and his blue stare pierced me.

"Alright, miss."

He stepped back from the saddle, and began to shuffle through his purse.

"But first we are getting you your own horse."

. . . .

_And so we left together. Link, my hero. The man who would save my kingdom. And I, no longer the princess, no longer Zelda, but a common Hylian girl with no words. What then, was I to him? If Farore did not guide him as Nayru guided me, then why was he so willing to bring me along? I trusted in the goddesses wisdom and power, and led him **into the fire.**_

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**This isn't news, but I love reviews!**


	5. Chapter 3: Into the Fire

A/N: Howdy howdy howdy! It's been a while, yeah? But I tell you, I got a review on this story the other day and boy did it kick my butt in gear! I love this story, and the idea for it, but it's so easy to get distracted and do a million other things. This is not the first time a reader has said kind things and pulled me back into the writing mode. So MegSkoomaPirate, everyone reading this has you to thank for its sudden appearance. The next one is coming much sooner than this one did.

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**Ten Legends Link Told Zelda**

**Chapter 3**

**Into the Fire**

Link did take me to get a horse – a sturdy perlino who was kind and strong, with a bright golden mane. I was drawn to him the moment we stepped into the Kakarioko stables. Deep brown eyes met mine and, as if in a daze, my feet led me to him without thought. Something about him reminded me of my white mare, locked up in the overthrown palace. Was she safe? Was she being ridden by the enemy? Were they taking care of her? There was so much I'd left behind in my escape. So many people who knew nothing of what happened to me, nor I of them. A life I was torn from when I was captured, and one I abandoned when I ran. What was to become of Sheik? Of the army, of the cooks, the maids, the attendants, the stable boy who had taken care of all the horses? What was to become of my people?

My shoulders sagged with a weariness I had not anticipated. But the stallion nudged me gently with his nose and as if on cue I leaned my forehead against his, eyes closed as I brushed my fingers across his neck. He whinnied softly and I sighed out my fears into his strength.

Feeling more renewed than I'd expected, I opened my eyes, and turned to the Hero. He was staring at me with the hint of a smile on his face. Then without delay, he turned to the stable hand and said, "We will take the perlino."

The stable hand crossed his thick arms across his chest. "Name's Sun Runner. He's 800 rupees."

Link made a derisive sound in his throat. "800 rupees? A good steed doesn't go for more than 400." I watched with fascination as the two men began their haggling.

"Ever since the rise of that tyrant, everything's gone to shit, including trade routes, cost of feed, danger of theft, you name it. Blame the evil king." The farmhand hacked in his throat and spat upon the ground.

I recoiled at the gesture – I had never seen a person spit before. Would that not be a sign of great disrespect? I glanced over to gauge the Hero's reaction, but Link seemed unperturbed as he negotiated the price down to 540. He was more than likely well-versed in the day-to-day of the people, and I knew I had best learn to follow his lead. Sun Runner nudged me between my shoulder blades and I took a big step forward to maintain balance. I smothered my surprised laugh into a smile and rubbed my new companion's nose.

I would need to learn to relax about being amongst my people.

. . . .

We were just beginning our trek through the mountain pass when Link's words cut through the morning air suddenly.

"I don't know why you want to come with me. And I definitely don't know why I feel like I should take you along. But… what you should know is that I am on a journey to save Hyrule. I must travel to the seven temples and retrieve the medallions to seal the sacred realm. I've got the Forest and Water Medallions. But I have a long ways to go."

He and I were riding in line, as the pass was very narrow most of the time. His head was facing forward, and I stared at the Hylian shield on his back. "That story I told you, about the people in the sky? That was the beginning of the Hero of Legend. I don't know if you believe in it. I wasn't sure I did until I was… called.

"But just as the demon chased the hero throughout history, so does the hero fight back. And in every age that the evil appears, the hero will be there to stop him. He is protected by Farore, the goddess of courage…" He hefted his shoulder in rough circles; whether it was a stretch or a nervous gesture was hard to say.

It was possibly the most surreal moment in our travels to-date, as he told me the legend of the Chosen Hero, who saved Hyrule throughout the ages, always in green, always with the Triforce of Courage. Always with the aid of someone or some thing.

Then, as the path widened, he turned Epona around, and pulled up alongside me. I brought Sun Runner to a halt and we remained, for a moment, perfectly still. Then, in a voice that would have left little room for doubt if I'd hand any, he said, "I am sure you don't believe me, but this legend is real." And without a second's more hesitation, he unclasped his gauntlet from his left hand and, skin bared, held it out to me. There, stamped into his flesh, the mark of the Triforce of Courage burned brightly. A shiver raced up my spine to see it, how it matched mine so perfectly.

I nodded solemnly and tried to signal that I believed him. It felt awkward, and I feared I had conveyed nothing of my support, but his gaze was attentive. There was only silence while he contemplated me. Then he turned Epona back up the winding trail to Death Mountain and wrapped and fastened his gauntlet back on his hand. "Alright then." His voice seemed a bit unsure, as though he was not positive what transpired between us just now. I was not sure I knew either. Nayru said I was to guide him. I knew where all the temples in my kingdom were, but what help would that be? Anyone could find them on a map. I was completely unsure of what to do next, when Link spoke once more.

"If you are certain you want to come with me, then next we must find the Fire Temple, located somewhere on Death Mountain." As the words left his mouth, I remembered; memories that were not mine. The path up the mountain, the door behind the throne, the lava, the puzzles, the twists and turns of the temple itself. They flooded my mind in bursts of fiery red and gold, and suddenly I knew the way.

Link looked at me funny, but I merely spurred Sun Runner on, taking off up the trail.

"Hey! Wait!" I could hear Link encouraging Epona to follow; the wind through my hair, the blue sky above and the rhythmic motion of the ride were exhilarating. For the first time I felt as though I was in control.

I pulled Sun Runner into a slow trot as we entered Goron City. Link followed a second behind. I pointed downwards, to the very bottom of the large cave and watched as Link nodded slowly and dismounted Epona. I began to slide less gracefully off of Sun Runner. He offered me a hand too late, and I landed off balance. My horse snorted and beat the earth with one hoof; I wonder if my poor dismount offended him.

Brushing my hands together, trying to save a little dignity, I turned to Link, and once more pointed blatantly to the bottom of the cave. He simply shrugged and said, "Okay, lead the way."

The deserted city was unnerving. Where were the Gorons? Where was Darunia? I saw no one as I led the Hero all the way down, through the twists and turns of the tunnels, through the door to the King Goron's chamber, all the while feeling his eyes upon my back; it was unsettling, though not altogether an unpleasant sensation, and in our typical manner we descended in silence. I finally stopped in front of the large throne. The entrance to the Fire Temple. He stepped forward and stood in the entryway. Turning around, his eyebrows drawn together, he considered me. I tilted my chin a fraction higher.

"I don't know how you knew where to go. But my gut tells me your intentions are good. Thank you for your help." I bowed my head in response, and when I raised it, it was to see that he had undone his belt and was grasping his green tunic with one hand and pulling it over his head. My hair could have burst into flame so hot was my face. I stifled a gasp and turned away. It was certainly not proper for a lady to see a man disrobe in any fashion. My eyes averted, I could not see Link's reaction but did hear him chuckle.

"Sorry if my chain mail offends you, miss." I glanced back to see just that. Under his tunic he wore another white undershirt, and atop that, a layer of glinting chain mail. I don't know what I had expected – I knew he wore mail beneath his tunic. But I'd never fathomed I'd see a man remove his shirt, and I knew nothing of men to know how their armor worked. My embarrassment was tenfold, and for this new reason I re-hid my face from Link.

He merely chuckled once more as he pulled a red tunic – nearly identical to his green – down over his mail. The Goron's tunic, I recognized. _Of course, Zelda._

"You are an interesting creature, miss. I must go now, and the heat won't allow me to take you with me. But wait for me. I'll return." And a second later, he was gone.

The fool!

I could most certainly help him! That was why I was here! Scrunching my nose in irritation, I pulled on the magic that resided deep within me. With a deep breath, I coaxed it loose and wrapped a spell of protection around myself like a veil. Exhaling, I watched as the shimmer engulfed me. Then I set out after the Hero into the Fire Temple.

. . . .

A blast of heat hit me the second I stepped through the temple doors. Even through the spell I felt the heat radiating against my skin. Closing my eyes I focused only on breathing, and the twists and turns of the temple laid out before me like a map, written on my mind. I knew where the Hero was, and I knew where he must go. But a dragon of flame danced behind my eyelids. _Volvagia. _Ganondorf's Subterranean Lava Beast. Link would not be able to face her without the Goron Hammer. But how was he to know? Eyes opened, my vision now filled with the roiling lava far below. Not allowing myself the privilege of a second thought, I set off in the direction of the beast.

. . . .

By the time I reached the second to last doorway, I found Link staring at a massive door with an enormous golden padlock. He had cleared far more of the temple than I, and in the same amount of time. I had been forced to creep along in the shadows, following the trails of beaten foes he'd left in his path, and avoiding the flaming keese that flitted overhead. By the time I had caught up, he was already here.

As I stepped into the room, his head whipped around and his sword was out faster than I could blink. I tried not to let it show how much he had startled me, and crossed my arms over my chest, trying to give off my most exasperated look. Link's own confusion was plainly evident as he sheathed the Master Sword and stepped towards me.

"What are you doing here?" He grasped my forearms urgently, but not roughly and pulled them from my chest towards himself. "You are going to burn-" his words cut off, and he glanced down at where his hands met the flesh of my arms. I am certain they were cool to the touch, and perhaps the low pulsing glow gave me away as well. Link's features contracted with bafflement as he let me go. "Is that… that's magic." There were more pressing issues, and so I ignored this comment as I met his eyes, pointed at the massive door before us and, with little dignity I am sure, attempted to mime the horns, fangs and wings of a dragon.

Link stared at me for a moment, confusion still wrapped around his mind. "A monster?" That was close enough. I nodded, and began to mime the swinging of a large hammer.

"I need a special weapon?" I clapped my hands together and grinned. 'Weapon' was good enough for me. Link looked more startled at that than he had my sudden appearance. Reigning in my composure and trying to hide my embarrassment, I nodded curtly.

Link, still perplexed about why and how I was here, crossed his own arms over his chest and shrugged. "So where do I get this weapon?" Flashing him a knowing grin, I turned on my heel and jogged off. Link once more called out behind me, "Hey, wait!" And I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face.

. . . .

The room with the Megaton Hammer loomed before us, and giddy with excitement, I threw the door open and dashed through. The flare dancer leapt at me with such swiftness that I would not have had time to cry out even if I could. But Link was somehow faster, and the creature bounced off his shield with a metallic clang. My heart thudded in my throat at the near miss. Even Nayru's Veil wouldn't protect me from those sorts of burns.

Finishing off the monster, Link returned to me, fallen on the floor, still paralyzed with shock. He knelt in front of me.

"Are you hurt?" I swallowed and shook my head no.

"We must get you a weapon. It isn't safe to be unarmed here." I felt the discomfiture of my unpreparedness in his statement, and watched as he sighed deeply. Standing, he offered me his hands, and pulled me to my feet. I could not meet his gaze, so terrible was my shame. After he retrieved the hammer, I simply led him by leaving the small room, taking him back to the massive door that lead to Volvagia.

Standing there, gazing at the mighty chains that sealed the door shut, I placed both hands on the lock. A deep breath and the magic hummed through me, flowing up my arms, gathering at my fingertips. I pushed it into the massive door, feeling the thrumming engulf me. Golden tendrils wrapped themselves like vines through the lock, up the chains, until it looked as if they were made of solid gold. Then with the sound of shattering crystal, they burst into a thousand tiny pieces.

I turned to the Hero without meeting his gaze, and gestured weakly at the unlocked door. He stood there for a moment, and the air was thick. "Wait for me." He said again, and then he was gone. This time I knew that unarmed, I could not follow.

. . . .

I waited by the pedestal of fire, outside the Goron City. My heart knew that was where he would appear when he had completed his task. He had been in there quite a while, and I began to fret. Kneeling on the earth, I did the only thing I could and prayed to the goddesses for his safety.

_To the three goddesses, I pray. Let the hero return from the bowels of the mountain. Let him defeat the evil dragon Volvagia. Let him reclaim the Medallion of Fire. And please… do not let my failure cause him harm._

Suddenly, someone was clearing their throat. I looked up sharply to see Link standing before me. So involved was I in my prayer I had hardly noticed – but he was back now – scraped, sooty, clothes torn and an angry strip of burn across his sword arm, but he was back just the same. He had done it.

"You… were you praying for me, miss?" The wonderment there was a shock to my system that I did not expect. I nodded slowly as I stood, and when I was upright once more, our gazes met.

So many unreadable things lurked there. But after a held breath, he spoke. "I've got the Medallion and I freed the Gorons. Volvagia was going to feed on them, but she's gone now. She won't be a threat again." I could have cried in relief; I covered my face with my hands to hold back the overwhelming tide of emotions. It had built up more than I had even known, this worry.

"Miss, are you alright?" I was. I was more than alright. Lifting my head, I stretched my hands out to rest on his heart instead; the magic welled in my soul and rushed through my veins, blindingly white and strong. He grunted as it reached him, enveloped him and sealed his wounds, the angry red burn nothing but a ghost.

He blinked back, shocked. "You… you're a healer too?"

There was that wonder in him again, and I yanked my foolish hand away from where it lingered on his chest. Staring intently at the horizon, I nodded once.

"What you did in there... You're my guide, aren't you?" It wasn't a question.

Stiffly, he took my hand and bowed over it. The Hylian sign of deep thanks and respect.

It was a miracle, a wonder to behold as he discovered my purpose. It was as though a fire had been lit inside of him, a renewal of purpose.

"I swear to you, I will follow as you lead. I welcome all you have to share…" and he knelt, still holding my hand, his other clasped in a fist over his heart. "I will defeat the evil king and save the kingdom. And I promise…" The sunset gleamed off of his hair and the wind blew mine about me with a fury. "I will not leave you again."

_Kneeling before the princess… the hero will swear his fealty._

The words of legend, read from a book to me by my mother – long ago – drifted through my mind and filled the cerulean sky around us; I could do nothing but try to breathe.

. . . .

_At the time, I was all-consumed with my mission. So lost in my own thoughts that I over-analyzed every one of them. But the Hero, my Link, would pull me from them and help me to see. Truly he drew out the best in me. I hope I did the same for him. But it was Link who trusted me, and helped me to trust in myself. Link who __**believed**__ in me - even when I wasn't Princess Zelda - even when I was just a girl without a name._

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A/N: PLEASE let me know what you think! I truly take reviews into consideration as I write the rest of the story.


	6. Chapter 4: A Girl with No Name

A/N: Hello again! I'm really getting back into this story, and have started fleshing it out so much more. I have at least a little bit written for every chapter going forward. How grand, right?! Anyway, I'm hopeful that will translate into faster updates.

Quick note: I have no beta, so if you see errors, feel free to let me know, either in a comment or in a private message. I'd also love to hear what you think, truly, so don't be shy! Anyway, enjoy Chapter 4!

**Ten Legends Link Told Zelda**

**Chapter 4**

**The Girl with No Name**

"I'm sorry." His words made my heartbeat spike, so unprepared was I for the breach in silence, and I startled where I sat.

We had been resting, preparing for our long climb down Death Mountain. Even though I had healed him it was still best that he gather his strength before we descended, and so I had made him rest for a bit. He sat there, legs crossed, and idly brushed at the dirt on his boots.

"I left you. I didn't realize… and that was foolish." He lifted his head towards the horizon and sighed. The sun was getting closer to touching the edge of the world, and the sky was turning from blue to gold. "I should have taken you with me, and I should have armed you." He turned his gaze to me then, awaiting my silent response.

My chin fell my chest, and I stared at the hem of my dusty blue dress as it fanned across the red earth. It was kind of him to take the blame. But if I was going to champion this with my own heart, I had to take responsibility for myself too. It was my fault for not being prepared, and I should have been more careful. Even with my magic, I was unaccustomed to combat, and had not acted accordingly. I pointed at myself, and then thumped a fist against my heart. _My fault._

The Hero smiled."How about we just agree that we will get you a weapon at the bottom of the mountain." The resolution sat comfortably in my chest, and I stood. Walking over to him, I extended my hands to him this time, remembering that awful moment in the Fire Temple when he'd had to do the same. But now it was a peace offering. A new start for us both, and no guilt. I hope he understood. If he did or did not, I couldn't possibly know, but after the briefest pause, he took my hands and hefted himself to his feet.

. . . .

We began our decent, and rode in a silence to which I was slowly becoming more acquainted. I lost myself in the way the low sun shone from behind Death Mountain. Its early spring warmth flooded my senses, and the feeling was akin to a healing spell. I let my shoulders relax, allowing the relief and simple joy to overtake me. We had conquered one temple together, and I resolved to be of more help the next time. A nudge from my mind reminded me of the Hero's presence and as self-awareness set in, I realized I was grinning a little too openly. I turned to find him staring, his own smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

It was a long, comfortable moment we shared with our gazes connected as we rode languidly down the mountain, and for me it felt as though we were welcoming an understanding, a partnership. For the first time since I could remember, I let my smile stay on my face without thoughts of wiping it away. He broke away first, his eyes returning to the path before us, and began to speak as though our conversation had never lulled; "Still. If we are to travel together, I must do better than 'Miss.' But I don't suppose you'll tell me your name."

I looked down at my hands, gripping my Sun Runner's reigns, the leather of my gloves pulled tight across my knuckles. Link was intuitive; he didn't bother formulating a question when he already knew the answer.

"It seems I will have to give you a name – if that's alright with you."

My head lifting back up, my gaze once more met his, eyes wide. _Wide-eyed was the princess ever._ But in my defense he had a disarming way about him that I had never experienced in any other. A name… I nodded slowly.

"Good. I will let you know what I have thought of by camp tonight."

At my evident surprise he chuckled. "A name is not to be taken lightly." And then he spurred Epona forward, and I could do little but follow suit.

. . . .

The sun set quickly on the mountain, and we didn't quite make it to the bottom before the night set in. Link insisted that we camp – the dark was not safe to travel with one person unarmed. He was right, of course, but still I was anxious to get into town, to hold a bow in my hand and finally shake the feeling of helplessness that enveloped me. It was irrational, to be sure, but many fears were, and sometimes I feared I would wake from all of this to find myself chained in a dark tower once more. The more agency I could manage, the more those fears seemed to abate.

I spun my dinner on its spit, examining the meat Link had procured for us. There we so many things to adjust to in this outside world – not least of which was eating off a spit. But if my people could do it – if the Hero could do it – then so could I. It was then, when I had lost my gaze to the flames and lost my mind to wanderings that my new name drifted across the fire.

"Sorcha." I looked up at him, and he must have read all manner of questions in my face, because he clarified:

"If it's okay with you, I will call you… Sorcha." It sounded foreign and exceptional in his voice; I nodded dumbly, certain I was not nearly as exotic or wild as this proffered name would suggest. But the way he watched me, the light leaping about in his deep blue eyes, it was as though the name had been an incantation. My head felt light and I couldn't seem to look away. Finally, quietly, he murmured his explanation, voice blending with the heady smell of the fire to make my mind swim and my face color.

"It's a name of my people's. And… it suits you, I think. You don't do it much, but your smile could dazzle a demon."

His words threw me; I cut my eyes at this near-stranger across from me, my arms crossed in perplexity more than anything else.

"You're offended?" I shook my head fervently. He watched as I swiped my fingers in front of my forehead and shook my head. He merely stared back at me, clearly clueless. Well of course he was, so crude were my hand signals. I tried again, fingers to my forehead before flicking them away. _I don't understand._

Still, he looked at me with confusion. Frustration welled inside me. Words had been my gift, once, and I could express so easily through a mastery of Hylian. Now here I was, sitting in the dirt on the side of a mountain, fumbling about with my hands. The temple had gone well enough, but even that was loose and sloppy. How I could keep this up for the rest of our journey I could not fathom.

I surprised myself by letting out a rough sigh of irritation and blinking back tears I hadn't realized were so near the surface; I tucked my head down to hide them and stared at the hard ground beneath us. This would be impossible. This quest would be a catastrophe.

Precipitously the words, "It's okay," reached out to me, his voice, soothing and eager. I looked up and one of those traitorous tears fell down my cheek. I wiped at it in a rush.

"Don't worry. I'll get it." There were those fire-lit eyes again, and I met them across our camp. Determination was written boldly in the crease of his brow. He was certainly a creature to behold, well-chosen by Farore, surely. He had courage and patience in spades, and I suddenly felt foolish for my exasperation. Trying one more time, I tapped my forehead with one finger and then shrugged my shoulders, palms open. His face lit up like a lantern and he let out a breathy laugh.

"You're saying you don't understand." I clasped my hands together and nodded fervently, beaming at him; he grinned broadly back.

"See? That's the smile I was talking about." I lost some of my zeal to the rapid blush that fanned across my face. He just chuckled and reached forward to pull our spits out of the fire. Standing, he came over to me and sat again, a mere foot away.

"Where I come from, it's something they say – 'He or she could dazzle a demon.' It's… there's a wide concept in Hyrule that outward beauty signifies inward goodness, which is not always true. But the reverse occurs as well – beauty attracts all sorts unwittingly to itself, good and bad. So it's something we say to remind ourselves."

I nodded solemnly as he handed me my dinner. It was a true enough statement. Beauty did not beget goodness, nor necessarily attract it, despite all its social value. Inner strength and outward appearance had no definitive correlation, and the great cultural emphasis on the idea of beauty itself, and the concept of good appearance being a virtue, was problematic. As for the reverse, I had seen it truly enough in court, and there were plenty of all ilk who sought favor with me because they thought me attractive (and powerful), all the while not truly knowing anything about me. It was an unspoken assumption to be aware of, certainly. The Hero was a wise man to see it too.

"There's a story –" his rich voice rang with eagerness, but halted suddenly; I glanced over to see him turning his dinner in his hand, examining it as it spun. Then more quietly, he continued, "Perhaps though, you are bored of my stories. I should not take advantage of a muted girl's inability to protest." His sounded thoughtful as he spoke, his gaze on his food. I leaned forward and placed my hand on his arm to get his attention before I had given it a moment's thought. He turned back to me, his eyebrows raised slightly. Realizing my forwardness, I ripped my hand from his arm, face ablaze. The Hero just let a grin curve his lips upwards at my expense.

"Alright then, if you insist." He was so much easier with a smile than I.

Reaching his arms up, he gestured against the sky, as if the air in front of us were his canvas, the spit his baton to conduct the tale. "They say long ago there was a powerful sorceress responsible for protecting the balance of the Triforce. Through her magic, she could see across the ages, able to read the fates of all who lived, but she never interfered."

I snuck glances at him out of the corner of my eye as he spoke, all the while picking at the meat on my stick in the most proper way I could manage. He sat so close to me, and keeping my eyes on his face in such close proximity suddenly seemed indecorous to the instincts of my upbringing.

"All remained in the balance over the centuries, until slowly, the sorceress became interested in one soul that was reincarnated over and over again: the Hero of Legend." At this he looked over at me and, against my will, I smiled bashfully, pulled into a sense of contrived comradery through the great secret we both knew.

"So distracted was the sorceress that she did not notice a shard of evil escape and imbed itself inside of her. The whispering darkness wormed its way into her heart and pushed away the light, turning her curiosity into an obsessive desire." Link's hands gestured as he illustrated his tale with more vigor than I'd seen in him to date; it was calming to watch him weave his story.

"Corrupted, and jealous of the bond he shared with another, she opened the Gates of Souls and used it to summon monsters from across time; she sought to endanger Hyrule so that the Hero would appear. And appear he did." As he spoke, it occurred to me that perhaps Link knew these stories because they were ingrained in his own reincarnate spirit. And yet, he knew details that couldn't have been known to heroes of old. I was unsure what to think, but Link carried on.

"Thus was began the infamous War Across the Ages. And together, the Hero of Legend and the Princess of Destiny were able to close the gate and restore order. The Sorceress was defeated, and her exiled Light returned, to guard the door once more." I had known some of this story, of course. But not the part about the Sorceress becoming obsessed with the Hero of Legend. It was… a new addition, to be sure.

"All that is to say that not all things we desire are good, or even good for us." The fire had burned down to the embers, and Link set down his spit and stood, crossing to grab another piece of wood to throw on the dwindling fire. Then, wiping his hands together, he returned to reseat himself beside me once more. The crackling of the wood and the whispers of the night were the only sounds in our camp for a while. But eventually, Link spoke again.

"Though…" the pensive tone pulled me from my own thoughts, and I stared as his rough hands as he laced them together to rest his chin. "I have found no cause to think yours a misleading sort of beauty."

It took a second for me to realize what he had said. But when I did, my blush certainly raced up my face and, gaping, I hardly knew what to do. What were his implications? To my great relief, his eyes did not find me, and his tone had remained passive and practical. To tell if he were complimenting me or merely stating a fact as mundane as the weather was nigh impossible. I had calmed myself by the time he caught my gaze briefly out of the corner of his eye, and continued.

"Well, aside from being my guide, you also picked a good horse. The trust of an animal is no small measure of integrity." Sun Runner nickered in the darkness behind me, as if in approval.

Link seemed to pause, fingers tapping against his chin as if considering something. And then, as though he'd come to a decision, he turned his entire form to face me, and said, "May I see your hands?"

Fear ate away at the edges of my senses; I no longer wore my riding gloves; I'd taken them off for dinner, and I hadn't checked to see if the symbol of the Triforce was hidden or not, fool that I was. It was something I could do with my magic, but only if I concentrated.

Slowly, I placed my spit on the dirt beside me and tried to breathe evenly – for appearances, and because magic flowed with the breath. I held them slowly out to him, palms up, hoping to buy time and to deter any impression that I knew exactly what it was he was hoping to see. He took them gently, his hands far warmer than my own, and turned each one over, inspecting carefully. I thought I could see the faintest outline remaining, but perhaps that was paranoia, as Link seemed to see nothing at all.

He shook his head slightly, as if to knock loose a train of thought. A heavy stone of guilt sat in my stomach at the disappointment that sagged in his shoulders. With a deep breath, he loosened his hold on my hands. I drew them back into my lap, a little too quickly, my heart pounding against my chest.

"I thought maybe…" His voice trailed off and his expectations hung in the air, nearly palpable for a moment. His gaze rose, to lock on mine, the flicker of some hope residing there. The fire was dim yet, and the deep blue of night obscured most of his face; I prayed it disguised mine as well. Link must have found his denial, for he nodded solemnly, and the moment fell apart.

"It's nothing. I'm sorry." He stood and began to clean our camp; I felt wretched. He'd hoped so strongly to have found the ally he needed in this journey, and I had denied him that. It struck me that if he felt half as alone as I had when my journey had begun, then I had deprived him of a great comfort.

The necessity of the lie did little to assuage my guilt as I stared into the fire. The Hero made to set up sentry first, but I rose quickly and came to stand at his elbow. He looked down at me, features tired but kind. I pointed at him and, through hands folded beside my head and eyes sliding closed, indicated he should rest. At myself, I pointed and signaled for first watch. He remained silent as I did all this, and I worried for a second. But he said quietly, "Promise you'll wake me at the first sign of danger." I smiled at him in reassurance, and he returned it, slightly.

"Thank you, Sorcha."

My new name rang exotically in my ears once more as Link readied himself for sleep.

. . . .

_I knew Link had been searching for his partner, the instinct of the Hero telling him to seek out the Bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. It had pained me to deny it to him, but such was my task. Our imbalance was pulled into stark contrast as Link exchanged kindness for my deceptions; and yet despite the guidance I professed, it was Link who led me through the days to come. Days of shadows and graves._

A/N: I love the name Sorcha, which is pronounced "surk + ha," (sort of sounding like circle) and means, "bright, radiant, light" in Irish. I thought that worked really well for Zelda, and I love the implications it has for Link choosing this name for her - just something fun to keep in mind, perhaps, going forward.

It's also an homage to the main character of the book, _Daughter of the Forest, _from which the idea of Zelda being mute came. It's a lovely novel, a retelling of the fairy tale of the six swans. I highly recommend it.


	7. Chapter 5: Of Shadows & Graves

**Ten Legends Link Told Zelda**

**Chapter 5**

**Of Shadows and Graves**

Once we arrived in Kakariko the next morning, our first stop after stabling our mounts was the Weapon Shoppe. In front of us were racks and racks of swords, maces and hammers, but my eyes fell to the few bows the burly weapon smith had in stock. Lifting a composite recurve from the rack, I tested the grip against my palm. Though I knew I'd have to keep it safe from the damp when we traveled, it would serve me well for the confined spaces of temples and dungeons.

I was a ranged fighter, to be certain, and Link the swordsman. We would be a formidable team, I thought. The idea was strange and new, but altogether exciting to contemplate. I would fight alongside him, with agency and purpose, and we would succeed together. Promise was held taught in the air, and I could feel it in the grain of the wood as I ran my fingers over the upper limb of the bow.

"You can take it next door to the shooting gallery to see what you think of it. They'll have arrows there if you ask." I looked up from the bow to find the muscular salesman grinning at me. "A friend of Link's is a friend of mine. Especially one as pretty as yourself." Link chuckled and said simply, "Thank you, Kyro. We'll be back soon." I curtsied primly to him to show my gratitude before turning towards the door; I nearly missed the smile that drew from the corner of Link's mouth. I realized my etiquette must be far beyond customary, but before I could express too much embarrassment, Link was already holding the door open for me, and so I simply ducked out beneath his arm.

Having a bow in my hands once more felt like a freedom I had nearly forgotten. I was unpracticed, and hadn't shot in what felt like years, but the skill came back quickly and for each target I missed, I made up for it thrice. Memories of the castle courtyard-become-archery-range flitted back with each arrow I nocked and loosed. Sheik's constant, innocuous presence, and Impa, his mentor and my nanny since birth, with her sinewy arms crossed as she looked on with a small smile. The twang of the bowstring brought back memories of both of them, and my heart ached affectionately with each shot.

This bow was plain – nothing close to the elaborate gold and white recurve my father had commissioned so long ago for my 15th birthday – but it was excellent quality. Made of maple wood and ram's horn, it was strong and flexible, and my arrows flew with a strength that made me feel as though my agency had been fully restored. Impa, Sheik, Father, they all felt so present with this weapon in my hand once more. I would do right by them, and save my country.

My arrows depleted, I came back to myself, and remembered my silent companion. I turned to look at him then; his arms were folded across his chest and he leaned against the wall of the gallery, taking me in. I could feel the flush in my face from exertion and adrenalin, and my heart pounded out a hard rhythm against my breast. We stood there a moment, and the air about me seemed to be ringing.

"Is there anything you can't do, Sorcha?" My heart thudded harder at his quiet praise, and I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, ducking my head. Every part of me was overly alive and alert. Link straightened up and, with a warmth in his voice that raced down my spine, he said, "Come, let's buy you that bow."

. . . .

Feeling rejuvenated and confident, I strode back into the weapon smith's purposefully, Link following behind. He paid for the equipment and I slid on my new archery gloves with eagerness. As I began to stretch the fingers slightly, the voices of two travelers drifted over to me.

"The whole country's gone to shit, I tell you."

"Don't say that out loud – who knows who can hear you."

"I don't care; how could it get worse? We are under the thumb of a tyrant, bandits ransack our caravans, and monsters lurk around every corner!"

"It could always get worse."

"Well it ain't getting worse without me complaining first."

"Everyone said Princess Zelda would come back and restore order; so much for that, huh?"

"Bah, no one's saying that anymore. All this talk about our _righteous leader_. She's just like anyone else; looking out for her own skin. The tyrant appeared and she bolted faster than a one-eyed donkey. She ain't coming back!"

"That or else she's dead."

"Either way it's all the same. There is no being saved."

It was as though my new-found confidence had been punctured like a toy balloon, and my heart thudded anew in my chest, beating out a new, uncomfortable rhythm. I couldn't seem to get enough air; all at once the urge to bolt rose up like a sickness. Pushing my way out of the shop, I stumbled, the sunlight too bright. My entire body shook and panic overtook me in a fever. Who was I? My people thought I had fled, and they were right. I had no direction, but let my feet take me away, unsteadily.

Suddenly, two strong hands were gripping me, holding me steady, and Link's voice penetrated the anxious swarm raging in my head. I did not register what he was saying, but I let him guide me down the alley between the shops, and I collapsed onto the crates to which he led me. I leaned against the rough wood of the building, eyes squeezed shut as I tried to take calm, deep breaths against the panic that filled my lungs instead of air.

"Sorcha, hey, you're okay. You're okay, Sorcha." It must have been a repeated mantra, and it eventually sank into the foreground of my thoughts. Opening my eyes, he was there, kneeling in front of me, concern written deeply in the creases of his brow.

I gulped down air and buried my face in my shaking hands, eyes squeezed shut against the world that thought I had abandoned it.

His hands came to rest on my knees. For a long moment there was no sound but my shaky breathing. Then, quietly, he said, "It will be okay. We will make it okay." I tried to breathe, and focus. He was so kind; he didn't understand, couldn't understand… But he was trying. I raised my face from my hands to look at him, and the corners of his mouth twitched down, certainly at the misery writ on my face.

"I know it's hard, and worse when no one seems to have hope. But Zelda didn't flee. She will come back when it's safe once more, and in the meantime _you and I_ will give them hope." I nodded at him, eyes wide, one hand covering my mouth as I tried to slow my heavy, shallow breathing. _Zelda will reveal herself when it's safe once more…_something in that mantra calmed my frantic breathing. Maybe Zelda did have to hide right now. But Sorcha could take her place…

"Let's take you to Telma's." He stood, hands sliding off my knees, and I tried to follow suit; but a sudden exhaustion sank me back down onto the crate. My entire body sagged with tiredness and as I reached out blindly – trying to steady myself –Link's strong hand gripped my own. I began to tip forward, and at the same moment he leaned down and scooped me up in his arms.

The exhaustion was all-consuming, and I couldn't help but lean my head against his shoulder. His hands held me tighter and I fought futilely to keep my eyes open. The somnolence rushed over me faster than could ever be natural - especially considering my racing, nervous heart - but I couldn't keep my thoughts together, couldn't stave off the sleep that was sinking me down – _it must be another dream_, my conscious mind tried to piece together. _What an unusual time for a dream to come. __The last thing I saw was the worry on his face._

. . . .

I was at the entrance to a graveyard, staring down at a large tombstone that read, "Here lay the faithful. Those who died in fealty to the royal family." A heavy mist disguised most of the landscape, save for the peppering of tombstones that stuck their grey heads out of the fog. But there, in the distance, standing among the stones… the muted tones of the graveyard could not disguise the familiar blue and white and blond. Before even thinking, I was dashing forward.

"Sheik!" I reached him just as he turned around, and with a force that I believe surprised us both, I crashed into him, arms wrapping around his chest, holding the familiar tight against me. Here was my guardian, my Sheikah protector, and my first friend in this world. Relief flooded my senses and I sunk into his embrace. His strong arms came around me as well, lithe fingers gripping my shoulders firmly. Desperately pressing my forehead to his, I allowed the magic of our life-long connection to tell him everything. Of my promise, of the tower, the river, the forest, the mountain. And the man. The Hero, Link.

All the while I uncouthly let spill my deepest fears for him: "I was so worried. I hadn't dreamt of you in months – ever since I got captured, I feared you were-" he stilled my babbling with an urgent shush, hands still gripping my shoulders, and pushed me back to arm's length.

"There is no need, Princess. I've seen all of it."

"Sheik?" My voice sounded odd to my own ears; I had become so unaccustomed to speech, even in dreaming.

"Then why – why haven't I been able to sense you? Why have you only come to me now. Why haven't I seen you in my drea-"

"I've blocked you out for your own safety. But there's no time for this now. I had to come when I could, but I can only keep you safe here for so long." The fog danced back behind him as he spoke, revealing more and more of the graves. I reached out to him again, determined to help him.

"At least tell me where you are – Link and I can-"

"No!" His harsh refusal stopped me where I stood, and I was taken aback by the vehemence of his tone; he had never spoken to me this way in all my life.

"You cannot risk that. I will say only that I am safe, for the moment." The fog swirled about my legs, ruffling my heavy skirts and I felt so very unsteady. "We haven't much time, Zelda. I came to give you this. You will need it for your journey into the shadows." I nodded dumbly, muted now by a dull sorrow. I had so missed my friend, and it seemed I was sentenced to miss him still.

He raised his hand above his head and in a flash of light, some sort of magenta object materialized between us. Instinctively, I raised my own arms above me, and the item descended, until I could reach out and grasp it by the handle. It was an eerie thing – Sheikan without a doubt – almost like a magnifying lens, purple with red spikes along the face.

"The Eye of Truth. May it guide you in the darkness… Sorcha." My head snapped up from the lens to find Sheik's; the crinkling of his eyes meant he was definitely smirking at me.

A loud rumble in the near distance drew his attention away. The fog was almost gone now, and Sheik looked as frantic as the night we'd tried to flee the castle, turning his red eyes to me, he screamed, "Princess, you must wake!" In a flash, he was gone; the graveyard seemed to darken around the edges, the fog rolling away quickly, too quickly. A roaring feeling, like some invisible beast crawling through my mind –

I sat up with a gasp. My heart pounded against my chest like a hammer and my bones seemed to vibrate with its blows. What had that beast been that burst its way into my dream? A shudder ripped through me when I tried to recall, and I purposefully tore my mind away, back to the present.

My surroundings came into focus as my dream faded, and I realized that Link had in fact brought me to Telma's. The walls, the windows, the bed – they were the same as the first time I'd stayed here.

My bow leaned against the far wall, quiver beside it. What Link must think of me and my strange moods I was afraid to know. But he had been kind and understanding, where I had little expected anything of such a nature.

As the racing in my blood began to slow, I realized my fingers were wrapped like a vice around the smooth handle of the lens Sheik had given me. The Eye of Truth… I turned it over in my hands, felt the hum of old, ancient magics, neither light nor dark. As it pulsed beneath my fingers, I knew: this was the sort of shadow magic of which Sheik had spoken long ago. It was the magic of the Sheikah: of things seen and unseen.

The thought of the Shadow Temple loomed in my mind, and the dark corners and endless pits painted themselves on the backs of my eyelids. The monster from my dream roared again; it appeared as only a giant, ominous shadow, but the ancient name beat out like a mighty drumbeat against my temples and I began to tremble.

. . . .

When I'd somewhat composed myself, I gathered my things and descended the stairs to the first floor; there I found Link, sorting through the contents of his pack, clearly waiting for me. I had so much for which to be grateful, and no small worry for what he thought of me. But his eyes were so kind, and he said nothing but "How are you feeling?"

I placed my hand on my heart, and smiled at him, weakly. He smiled back; though there were things hanging in the air unsaid. But he stood and, extended his hand towards the door, simply said, "Lead the way." Appreciative of his brevity, I took his cue and walked out in front.

. . . .

The moment the pathway opened upon the Kakariko Graveyard, I recognized it as the same location as my dream. And the same tombstone in front of me: "Here lay the faithful. Those who died in fealty to the royal family."

I thought of Sheik, trapped somewhere and refusing my help, destined to protect my life with his own. How many people had died while Zelda was hiding? How many had stood in my name and fallen while I roamed the countryside without uttering one word?

Link shifted beside me; "Have you ever heard of the land of Twilight?"

I lifted my disconsolate gaze to his and, allowing myself to hold his eyes longer than necessary, I gave him only the smallest of headshakes.

He grinned at me, his smile bright in the gloom. Link seemed to love it when I hadn't heard a story. Today, he seemed particularly pleased, an inverse to my own mixture of melancholy and trepidation.

"Then I will tell you a tale that the folk of this region pass down. Kakariko is a village of shadows and secrets, where the Sheikah came from. Have you heard of the Sheikah?"

I hoped my sudden look of surprise did not belie my full knowledge. The Sheikah has served my family for generations going back almost beyond reckoning; it was an odd question to face. My own meeting with Sheik fresh in my memory, I feared for a moment that Link already knew the answer.

I gave the slightest of nods, apprehension sitting heavily in my stomach. But Link seemed satisfied with only this small participatory response, and returned to his story. Relief washed over me in a bout of weariness. I turned ahead and began marching along the path that wound through the tombstones. Link and his story followed me, puncturing and stalling my thoughts of the beast that awaited us in the temple.

"There is a belief in Kakariko that the land of darkness – of Twilight – touches ours at dusk and that for a few seconds the two worlds get dangerously close to colliding. Once upon a time, long ago, the Kakariki say an evil wizard who was trying to gain immense power broke that careful balance and the two worlds were stricken together."

My gaze roamed over the graves we passed. The fog from my dream was gone, but the sky hung dark and dismal above us. Link had certainly chosen an apt tale for the atmosphere.

"One Hylian, with the help of a Twili Princess – that's what the people of that world are called – was able to traverse both worlds. He ran across the land, back and forth, here as a man, but in the realm of Twilight, he became a large, fierce wolf. In these dual forms, he fought to separate the two worlds out once more. But the longer it took and the more times he crossed, the less able was he to discern wolf from man, light from darkness."

I turned to find him beside me once more; for just a moment the tombstones faded away. As I watched him stare off into the distance with a seriousness I hadn't expected, I could have sword a feral glint took over his blue gaze; but in a flash, it was gone, and there was no telling if I had imagined it or not. I blinked rapidly and threw my sights back to the graveyard path.

"When his work was finished, they say he himself was split – that his heart was torn between two worlds and two women – a woman of the light, and a woman of the darkness."

Shadows danced across the graves, and I knew instinctively where I felt better acquainted. Despite all fealties to the departed, I knew my soul resided with the living. Link's tone lightened once more, and the savage spell of his story seemed to dissipate.

"I can't say I can sympathize with his plight. I don't think I could handle two women." I felt him staring at me. I suspected he was trying to cheer me up, and that I should feign for his sake, but the gloom of my afternoon, my dream in the cemetery and now its realization all around me engulfed my mood.

"Just you is more than a handful." This time my head did snap up, to catch the mischievous glint in his eye. I felt my own smile creep across my visage as I fought to keep the blush down in my cheeks. He was being kind, trying to draw me from the darkness of my thoughts. And he'd been so patient today, not knowing what left me so aggrieved, but doing his best to accommodate me just the same. The least I could do was humor him, show him how much it was appreciated.

I shook my finger at him in mock admonishment and he laughed. Honest to goddesses _laughed_. It was startling to see, the way his face lit up – the rich bark of amusement that reverberated through the graveyard. But before I could even finish contemplating it, he'd reached out in a flash and grasped the offending digit I still pointed at him and wrapped his fingers around it, taking a step towards me. A burst of sensation blazed through me.

"It's hard to see you sad, Sorcha."

He hadn't let go of my index finger yet, and I was certain by the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears that my face was flushed. And yet I couldn't tear my gaze from his.

"You are definitely a woman of the light." His expression was soft, and he squeezed my finger slightly. I felt my own countenance lighten, the tightness in my jaw, my eyes, my tongue, loosen. How long did we stand so? Was it a day? Was it a minute? I shall never properly recall, but after a time he released me and turned towards the graveyard once more.

"This Shadow Temple is another matter, however." It was in this graveyard somewhere, true. Taking a moment and refocusing my thoughts, I once more envisioned the entrance. With two fingers, I beckoned him to follow me, as we set off amongst the tombstones. I led him all the way to the back wall, drawing my focus away from the graves we passed and the dark thoughts that tugged at the edges of my mind.

I stopped in front of a massive tombstone at the back of the lot. The letters had worn off, but I could still read the Old Hylian, familiar since childhood. "The rising sun will eventually set, A newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun... Give peaceful rest to the living dead."

A shiver rushed through me and I quickly turned my attention away, pointing up towards the temple entrance, on the ledge above us. Link followed my gaze and, considering it, pulled out his hookshot and pointed it at the wooden post of an unlit torch. Turning to me, he held his free arm wide. "Hold on tight," he said. I stepped towards him, telling myself it was ridiculous that my hands were shaking. This man hauled me from a river, changed me into dry clothes, and had spent the last two weeks traveling across the mountains with me; not to mention all that had occurred today. It was ridiculous to still shy from his touch.

But when would I, a cloistered princess, ever experience such a thing as being held by a man, let alone one such as Link? I tried to send these thoughts scattering as best I could, and stepped in close, I tentatively wrapped my arms around his neck. His arm coiled around my waist like a belt of iron, muscles taught and grip secure.

A loud _thunk_ punctured the still air and suddenly we were being yanked upwards. Before I knew it, my feet were on solid ground again. Untangling myself from Link as quickly as possible, I tucked my hair behind my ear and pretended to adjust my skirts.

Link paid no attention to this, thank goodness, and merely walked through the archway into the side of the cliff. I followed and tried not to gape at the expansive cavern before us, filled to the brim with torches, a giant stone door stood as our barrier; the stare of the Sheikah eye carved into its surface seemed to pierced into my heart. Link was examining the door as I stepped up onto the pedestal in the center of the room; I believe we figured it out at the same time, as Link began to speak right as I prepared the spell. "Maybe we need to light all of the-" His eyes landed on me just as I raised one hand splayed open into the air, and drew upon the heat within me; with a rush, I fell to one knee and slapped my palm down onto the stone.

Din's Fire erupted upward, the warmth rushing through me like a desert wind. My eyes stayed closed as I pushed the magic away from myself, but I could feel it expanding outward and outward, could hear the torches crackle and spark, one right after the other. Raising my head, I smiled at the illuminated room. Link was standing there, an arm covering his face. When he lowered it, I met his surprised eyes. Of course I would never let the fire touch him. I had more control than that. I bit my lip and smirked, secretly enjoying the startlement writ in his face. Shaking his head, he mumbled, "Yeah. Definitely light."

Together, we walked through the temple door.

. . . .

_We raced through the Spirit Temple, and the dangers within. It would be my most harrowing experience to date, but not nearly the last. But after, he would take me to the lake, and there, in a single afternoon of perfection, he would show me what it was to relax; that is where I felt most myself: beside Link, and nestled between the earth and sky._


End file.
